Perfect Presents: Bond No. 9 New York West Side Candle

Hello you lovelies! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend full of shopping success (or peace and quiet if you're the type to have done all your Christmas shopping early). Yes, I know it's Wednesday already, but that the thrill of retail can follow me for days. If daydreaming about past and future purchases isn't working for ya and "hump-day" has got you down, I've got just the sight for sore eyes! Check out Bond No. 9 New York's Special Edition holiday offerings!




I'd heard so much about the Bond line, and I finally got the chance to try some recently. I seriously think they may have changed my life. Or at least my nose. I'd always thought of the Bond fragrances as being impossibly exclusive, deliberately crafted, and maybe a bit too sophisticated for me. After all, since I'm generally pretty happy with department store scents, I tended to associate "niche" fragrances with difficult, avant-garde, and even jarring notes that are hard to wear.

I could not have been more wrong.

The famous Bond "Superstar" bottles were meant to represent the shape of an exuberant human body, conveying the message that there is a Bond for everyone. And there truly is! From the fragrance-phobe to the connoisseur who's seen smelled it all, you're sure to find something just right in the Bond line. I'll be posting about 3 scents in particular that are just perfect for gift giving, as well as some gift sets over the next few days, so be sure to check back for more!


First up....

Bond No. 9 West Side Candle

Perfect For: Your casually elegant boss or gracious hostess. The girl that's as down with the indie circuit as she is with the opera scene; the one who mixes vintage finds with designer threads and carries it off with grace and insouciance.

Why it's Perfect: This rose scent is like no other -- rich, creamy, vanilla, and smooth, it is a fragrance that you just want to sink into. And for someone you might not know that well, the candle format lets your giftee envelope themselves with this delicious scent, without being quite as personal as a gift of perfume.

A totally different class than "typical" rose scents like Stella or Une Zeste de Rose (both lovely in their own right), West Side has none of that youthful floral springiness. While it is certainly not an old fashioned scent, its maturity comes from the masterful blending and effortless sophistication -- you can wear this to the most formal of balls or to your school picnic, and it wouldn't be out of place. Lasting power is phenomenal, I can still smell it 8 hours after application.

The top notes include Rose, Ylang Ylang, and Peony; Heart notes are Sandalwood and Amber; and it's all anchored to a base of Vanilla and Musk. The peony and rose weave harmoniously, and the softly sweet vanilla is present from the start. For me, this starts off powdery, and the florals don't come through until a little later on, along with a subtle new-leather-glove note. The musk drydown is genteel and restrained... I just get soft glowy rose-amber with more powdery woods. This is definitely a gourmand's rose ... I can't get enough!


If you're in New York, you can purchase West Side at one of Bond's 4 boutiques. Saks Fifth Avenue, Harvey Nichols, Harrod's of London, and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong are also retailers. As for the rest of us, we can order through the Bond website.